After our northern Ethiopia tour with Zewdu, we traveled by bus to Lake Langano. The fresh water lake, about 200 kilometers south of Addis Ababa, sits in the Great Rift Valley. It may be the only lake in the country which is free of a harmful bacteria. Not surprisingly, it’s a popular swimming destination for nationals and tourists. The water’s high mineral content causes the lake to look brown or rust and it may have healing properties.  

We quickly discovered during our three-night stay why bird-watching is one of the most popular activities at the 230-square-kilometer lake. A yellow-bellied waxbill is featured at the top of this post. Below are a few more of the birds we saw:

Bath time for a Vitelline masked weaver. 

Our most surprising and favorite sighting was a male African paradise-flycatcher catching insects midair. Typically the male’s two long tail feathers are at least twice the length of its body.